I Didn’t Go Back…I Found My Way Forward: Nick’s FlexPath Story

“I didn’t go back because I had a family that needed me more than I thought I needed a degree.”

Nick Mueller is an Assistant Vice President of Operations at a Fortune 500 company in Minneapolis, Minn. He received his Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2015 through FlexPath, Capella University’s self-paced learning format.

Mueller started college right after high school, but opportunities at his job and starting a family soon took priority, and he dropped out. Plus, with a successful career, he didn’t think he needed it.

Fifteen years later, that thinking changed.

“I didn’t really think about it until I got serious about my career. I was moving up the ladder, so to speak, and because of that success I knew I needed to go back and finish my degree.”

Mueller looked for a school that was accredited, and a program that would allow him to continue working and spend time with his family, which ruled out a traditional university setting.

FlexPath stuck out because of the flexibility it offered.

“I had a family and I had a full-time career, so I couldn’t go to a physical location for classes. I had so many commitments with family and other things that traditional methods of higher education wouldn’t work for me. And flexibility was certainly very important to me because of my busy life.

“Probably the most surprising and pleasant aspects of the FlexPath program were that I could do it at my own pace, which was very important for me, and that I could complete more than one course in a quarter.”

Once in the program, Mueller realized his goal with the help of FlexPath coaches.

“My FlexPath coach was very valuable to me. I actually reached out to her often and she was always available to help me and explain what I needed to do, and also choose the courses that best fit my degree path. My FlexPath coach was available via e-mail, via phone, and was always very responsive whenever I needed it.”

He also used his career experience to help in his coursework…and vice versa.

“There’s no other program that I know of that can actually help you focus both on your school and your career at the same time. Many of the courses within the FlexPath program applied directly to what I was doing in my career and my job. I was able to apply a lot of the knowledge that I had from my real-life career into the program.”

Fifteen years after he started, Mueller crossed the stage to accept his degree. His biggest emotion? Pride.

“Graduating really is a huge accomplishment. It means that I still have the drive I had when I was younger. I’ll show my three children the reason dad was occupied many nights over the last couple years.

“What does it mean for me next? I would say right now it means that I’m going to enjoy my degree. I’m going to update my resume and all my profiles with a degree, which I’ve been waiting to do for a long time, and I think it’s going to certainly add opportunity for me in many ways. It’s going to add opportunity for me to maybe apply or pursue a different path in my career that I couldn’t before I had the degree. I will be able to apply for those jobs that said, ‘You need a four-year degree.’”